Early Years Bernard John Zawila was born on 24 August 1921, in LaSalle, Illinois, to Sophia (Swobodzinski) Zawila. At the time of his birth, Bernard’s mother was a widow having lost her husband, Paul Zawila, six months earlier. When Bernard’s father died, the family was living in Chicago where his father had been working for the McCormick Reaper Works as a laborer. In late February 1921 when Sophia was pregnant with Bernard, Bernard’s father became sick with pneumonia. Within two days he died from the illness. After her husband’s death, Sophia must have moved the family which included two sons…
Tag: WWII
STAFF SGT Anthony Thomas Piraino, Service No. 36433970
Anthony PIraino was born on 15 January 1921, in Lost Springs, Wyoming, to Gaetano and Rose Falica Piraino. He was the couple’s sixth child. Anthony’s father, Gaetano, grew up in Alcara, Italy, and left in 1903 for the United States when he was in his early 20s. Anthony’s mother, Rose arrived in the United States in the late 1890s. Gaetano and Rose met in Peru, Illinois, in the early 1900s and were married on 14 April 1907. At the time of Anthony’s birth, his family was living and farming in Lost Springs in Wyoming on property they owned. Anthony had…
SGT Joseph Piraino, Service No. 36981801
Joseph PIraino was born on 15 December 1918, in Lost Springs, Wyoming, to Gaetano and Rose (Falica) Piraino. He was the couple’s fifth child. Joseph’s father, Gaetano, grew up in Alcara, Italy, and left in 1903 for the United States when he was in his early 20s. Joseph’s mother, Rose arrived in the United States in the late 1890s. Gaetano and Rose met in Peru, Illinois, in the early 1900s and were married on 14 April 1907. At the time of Joseph’s birth, his family was living and farming in Lost Springs in Wyoming on property they owned. Joseph had…
Seaman 2c Joseph James Geraci, Service No. 8515544
Joseph James Geraci was born on 15 May 1924, to Dominic and Mary Theresa (Gerace) Geraci, in Illinois. Joseph’s father, Dominic, was about 29 years old when Joseph was born and was working in the local coal mine. He and Joseph’s mother had married almost nine years before on 25 July 1920 in LaSalle. They had only one other known child, John, who was born four years after Joseph on 18 July 1928. Joseph’s father, Dominic, was born in Caccamo, Sicily. He had left Italy to travel to America in 1911 when he was 16 years old. Eight years after…
PVT Frank Mike Zabkar, Service No. 36775615
Frank Mike Zabkar was born in LaSalle, Illinois, on 8 June 1911, to Austrian immigrants Michael and Sophia Cujnik Zabkar. Frank’s father Michael was from the Zupeca Vas area while his mother Sophia had lived in Grandise. Both of his parents left their homeland at the turn of the century to travel to America when they were in their mid-twenties. They married in LaSalle on the first of January in 1900, and had their first child who they named Sophie a little over a year later. Michael supported the family working as a laborer at the local zinc works. Eventually…
PVT Frank Joseph Harzheim Jr., Service number 36784510
Frank Joseph Harzheim was born in Peru, Illinois, on 21 September 1913. He was the fifth child of Frank and Gertrude Potthoff Harzheim. His parents were both immigrants who left Germany for the U.S. in the late 1880s. They married in Peru, Illinois, on 8 November 1898. At the time of Frank’s birth, his family was living in a home they purchased at 1516 Eighth street in Peru, and his father was working as a caster at the local clock factory, Westclox. After Frank was born, his parents had four more children. Their total of nine kids included three boys…
PVT Angelo Joseph Venturi, Service No. 36327175
Angelo Joseph Venturi was born on 18 August 1912, in LaSalle, Illinois. His parents were Emile and Pauline Bacidore Venturi. Emile and Pauline had married about four years before his birth on 11 April 1908. Both of Angelo’s parents were from Montegallo, Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy. His mother Pauline left her homeland in 1907 and traveled to America aboard the SS La Bretagne in October. His father Emile arrived in the United States about the same time. After marrying, Emile and Pauline lived with her parents Louis and Rose Bacidore at 336 Berlin street—a road which would be renamed LaFayette…
2LT Bernard Dominic Valesano, Service Number O-825336
Bernard Dominic Valesano, also known as Barney, was born three days after Christmas on 28 December 1922, in Lostant, Illinois. His parents were John J. and Anna Cicciarelli Valesano. Bernard’s paternal grandparents were Dominick and Anna Baima Valesano. They had each traveled to America from the Piedmont area of Italy as young adults—Dominick from Locana and Anna from Corio. They appear to have met and married after arriving in the U.S. The couple raised their family in Toluca, Illinois, where Dominick worked as a coal miner. In 1918 at age 22, Bernard’s father John enlisted in the United States Army…
Flight Officer Arthur Dale Starkey, Service Number T-223756
Arthur Dale Starkey, sometimes referred to as Archie, was born on 4 October 1916, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. His parents were Clyde W. and Lola Bell Yearwood Starkey. When Arthur was born, his parents had been married for 10 years and already had a son Leroy and two daughters—Mildred and Helen. Arthur’s father, Clyde, was born in Indiana while Arthur’s mother was born in Jefferson county, Illinois. After their marriage, Clyde and his wife Lola seemed to live for some time in Rochelle and in Mount Vernon, Illinois. But they eventually settled in Peru, Illinois, prior to 1918. In Peru,…
PVT James Reynolds, Service No. 386368
James Reynolds Jr. was born on 6 December 1920, in Deer Park, Illinois—an unincorporated area in LaSalle Township. James was named after his father, James Grover Reynolds, who was born in Jonesville in 1892. The Reynolds family had lived in the LaSalle area for a long time. James Junior’s great-grandfather, Henry Reynolds, moved to America from England possibly in the 1850s. On 5 July 1857, he married Hannah Johnson, a young lady from New Jersey who had moved to Illinois. They initially settled in Ophir Township. By 1870 they had moved to Deer Park and had six children one of…